Local Love | A Gift Guide for Supporting Small Businesses + Giving Back This Season
Memphis is full of creatives, makers, movers, and changers who pour their whole selves into the work, and every dollar spent with them stretches further, lands softer, and does more good than any big-box cart could ever do. If you don’t want to gift the usual knick-knacks that get tossed in a drawer by January, this guide leans into something richer: local gifts with intention and impact.
Whether it’s a monthly Cxffeeblack subscription for the coffee lover in your life or a beautifully composed scent from TB Fragrances for the friend who always keeps their space lit and cozy, these picks feel personal in a way mass-market gifts won’t. Treat someone to a moment of beauty at The Mane Wilding, uplift their self-care routine with Pink Noire, slide a Nail Bar & Co appointment into their week, or support the local art scene with a visit (or gift card!) to Sheet Cake Gallery.
And if your love language leans more toward giving back? Memphis has no shortage of organizations doing transformative work. SisterReach, A Step Ahead Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, Memphis Union Mission, and Hope House are all meaningful places to donate in someone’s honor—a gift that ripples far beyond the holiday season.
Round things out with restaurant gift cards to your favorite neighborhood spots, memberships to local museums, or credit for small art galleries (because experiences > things). It’s the kind of gifting that feels good on both sides: thoughtful, rooted, and anchored right here at home.
Let’s shop small, give intentionally, and pour into the places that pour into us. If there was ever a season for that, it’s this one. 🌿✨